Thunder of the Crow
by Russell Scottie
Summary: After the badger attack, Crowfeather joins ThunderClan in order to stay with Leafpool. But Leafpool must train a new medicine cat before she can become a warrior and be with her beloved. CrowxLeaf  Re-launch of Crow's Thunder
1. Eye of the Storm

**Thunder of the Crow**

**Chapter One: Eye of the Storm**

**I have decided to re-launch Crow's Thunder; the chapters have been reworked and I will be posting brand new chapters once I've finished rewriting and posting the ones that has already been posted.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Warriors, that all belongs to the Erin Hunter writers.**

The badger attack was over. WindClan came and saved ThunderClan, but Sootfur and Cinderpelt had died fighting before the rescue party made it. New life flowed in the Clan however, in the form of Sorreltail's four newborn kits. As Leafpool looked around the destroyed camp, she felt torn in two; her duty to serve her Clan as medicine cat and her love for Crowfeather battled within her.

The she-cat turned toward the dark grey tom that she loved, he was still crouching beside the nursery as if the battle was not over and something might attack at any moment. Before the light brown tabby she-cat could speak a word, another cat yowled out.

"Look, its Crowfeather!" Whitetail of WindClan exclaimed loudly, alerting anyone that hadn't already known he was there. "What's he doing here?"

Onestar stalked over to the grey-black warrior, eyes narrowed. "Crowfeather, you came back… but not to your own Clan," the leader spoke with an edge clear in his voice.

Crowfeather eyed the WindClan leader with a steady gaze. "Leafpool and I came back, but I won't be returning to WindClan." He glanced over to Firestar, who was already padding over to join the group to see what was going on. "I wish to join ThunderClan; that is, if they'd have me."

Everyone in hearing distance was shocked, even Leafpool. Would Crowfeather really join ThunderClan just for her? Leafpool thought, amazed with the tom's decision.

"It does not matter to me anyway, you were no longer part of WindClan the moment you ran away," Onestar spat at the tom, fury lighting his eyes. He turned to Firestar and meowed tensely, "He is your problem now." Turning to his Clan, the WindClan leader called out, "WindClan, it's time to go back home."

WindClan cats started to file out before Firestar could thank Onestar and his Clan properly; Ashfoot however lingered behind to speak with her son.

"Are you sure about this, Crowfeather?" WindClan's deputy asked; love and concern for her only son clear in her light blue eyes.

"Yes, I love Leafpool and I cannot stand to be apart from her again," the grey-black warrior told his mother and former deputy, voice strong with emotion. "Goodbye, mother."

"If that is how you feel, I will stand by your wishes," Ashfoot meowed. She pressed her nose to Crowfeather's head in a show of affection. "Goodbye, my son. Never forget that I will always love you no matter what. And may StarClan always be with you." She pulled away and left before she was left behind by her Clan.

Firestar took this time to step forward, toward Crowfeather. "You said you wanted to join ThunderClan?" he inquired, green eyes curious.

"Yes; as I have said before, I love Leafpool and I wish not to part from her side," the former WindClan tom meowed strongly.

"Leafpool? How do you feel about this?" Firestar asked, turning to look at his daughter.

"I…" Leafpool was close to speechlessness; her father and leader was asking her how she felt instead of deciding for her. She was shocked. "I love Crowfeather, but I do have my duty to my Clan now that Cinderpelt is dead," she said, trying to think about her words before she spoke them and keeping her emotion in check. "I will train a new medicine cat, but I step down from my role as ThunderClan's medicine cat."

Whispers broke out from the ThunderClan cats listening in, but Firestar silenced them with a flick of his tail. "So be it. Crowfeather is now a warrior of ThunderClan, along with Leafpool. But to be freed from her ties as medicine cat, she must first train a new medicine cat for ThunderClan."

Objections broke out from the cats and Firestar tired to silence them calmly, but failed.

"This is not what I expected to find," a familiar voice meowed loudly, which silenced the confused Clan. "What has happened here?"

The Clan turned around to stare at two cats that had just entered camp without anyone noticing. The first was a powerful tom with a thick grey pelt and the other was a brown tabby she-cat; the two were none other than Stormfur and Brook Where Small Fish Swim.


	2. Changing Rain

**Thunder of the Crow**

**Chapter Two: Changing Rain**

**XP This chapter is just as short of the original chapter two of Crow's Thunder. I thought about adding the next chapter to it, but decided in the end that they needed to be separate.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that belongs to Warriors, that all belongs to the Erin Hunter writers.**

Crowfeather busied himself by helping Leafpool, alongside Brightheart, tend to the injured warriors and new kits. The warriors and apprentices that weren't greatly hurt rebuilt camp the best they could. Most of the warriors paid him no attention or simply glared at him as he passed by, but a few gave him appreciated glances for his help.

No one had time to ask why Stormfur and Brook came down the mountain, they were just grateful for their help before the two left for RiverClan. The work lasted several suns and those nights Crowfeather joined Leafpool in the medicine cat's den. The reason being a large number of warriors had made it clear that they did not want him in the warriors' den as they didn't consider him a ThunderClan warrior.

This arrangement however worked out well in the end for both Crowfeather and Leafpool, they needed each other when night came. In the den, they were away from the harsh glares and insults directed towards them by their Clanmates. They comforted each other, strengthening their bond.

Five suns passed since the last injured cat left the den when a surprising turn of events occurred. "Oh hello, Rainwhisker. What can I do for you?" Leafpool asked the warrior when he padded over to the couple who had been sharing a meal outside the medicine cat's den. The young ThunderClan warrior was still limping from his leg wound and Leafpool thought that must be the reason he had come over to them.

"Hello Leafpool, Crowfeather," the light grey tom greeted them, eyes staring at his paws. It was clear to the couple that Rainwhisker was nervous about something. "Uh, have you found an apprentice to train as a medicine cat yet?"

Leafpool blinked her amber eyes, curious as to what brought on the question. "No, not yet," she replied steadily.

"Well, I was wondering if I could become your apprentice," Rainwhisker said shyly looking up to stare into both Leafpool and Crowfeahter's eyes. "I don't want to be helpless again when another one of my family or Clanmates are dying. I want to be able to save them."

"Are you sure?" Leafpool inquired, hope seeping into her eyes. She saw potential in the warrior that stood before her and training him meant one step closer to being with Crowfeather as warriors.

"Remember that you cannot take a mate if you do," Crowfeather spoke up, locking eyes with Leafpool for a moment before turning back to Rainwhisker.

"I am certain. I want the knowledge to save my loved ones," the young warrior nodded his head to the two, determined.

"Then we must speak to Firestar," the medicine cat stood up with the former WindClan warrior and all three made their way to their leader's den.

Inside the den, Firestar was sharing tongues with Sandstorm when the three entered. It was now a normal sight to see Crowfeather and Leafpool together, but with Rainwhisker it brought curiosity to ThunderClan's leader. "Is something wrong?" the ginger leader asked.

"Nothing is wrong, Firestar. Rainwhisker has something important to tell you, though," Leafpool informed her father. She flicked her tail to the grey warrior in a silent gesture for him to speak.

"I wish to become Leafpool's apprentice and earn the ways of a medicine cat," the ThunderClan warrior spoke, his voice strong and clear. Exact opposite of how he was moments before when he came to Leafpool and Crowfeather.

"Are you certain, Rainwhisker?" Firestar asked his warrior. The warrior in question simple nodded, certainly clear in his eyes. "Starting tonight, you will begin sleeping in the medicine cat's den and start learning the ways of a medicine cat. I will announce this to the Clan at sun-high."


	3. Falling Ash

**Chapter Three: Falling Ash**

**Disclaimer: All things Warriors belong to the Erin Hunter writers, not me.**

**Here the timeline starts spinning around in the blender and throwing it up all out of order. XP**

The whole camp already knew about Rainwhisker's decision about becoming the medicine cat apprentice by the time of the meeting, but the ceremony went smoothly. Leafpool took Rainwhisker out afterwards to begin teaching him some herbs. Brightheart joined them, mainly to get away from Daisy's kits who only got worse since the badger attack.

Crowfeather joined a hunting patrol consisting of Ashfur, Squirrelflight, and himself. The orange she-cat was unnaturally quiet as they padded through the forest, only occasionally casting glances at Ashfur.

The poor flecked tom did not appear to have noticed the change in Squirrelflight's behavior as he spoke to them happily. The former WindClan tom decided to leave the two alone as it was obvious something needed to be worked out between the two and announced that he scented a rabbit nearby. It wasn't a complete lie, as he did smell a rabbit in the vicinity.

He gravitated toward the smell and quickly killed the rabbit. Crowfeather noted during the hunt that the rabbits in ThunderClan's territory were shorter legged and slower than those in WindClan, making them easy for the quick warrior to catch. He was about to bury the creature to gather it back up later when he heard a voice, Squirrelflight's.

"Look, Ashfur, I really care about you as a friend, but I don't want anything more then that," she was telling the flecked gray tom.

"But I love you!" Ashfur protested; voice filled with hurt and shock. "We'd be great together, Squirrelflight, I know we would."

"I'm sorry," Squirrelflight went on.

Crowfeather fed up with eavesdropping, quickly buried the rabbit and trotted off, away from the two cats. He thought it was not his place or right to listen in on his new Clanmates and what he had heard was already too much to him.

A mouse and a sparrow later, Ashfur came padding out of a bush only to stop in front of the dark gray tom. "Oh, Crowfeather, there you are," the tom's voice sounded dejected and lost; so unlike his usual self.

"What's wrong?" the former WindClan warrior asked. Though he already knew what was wrong, he did not want Ashfur knowing he overheard Squirrelflight rejecting him.

"Well," the pale gray warrior started, but then seemed to think better of it. "It's nothing, you wouldn't understand, Crowfeather."

"Try me," the dark gray tom meowed. He wanted the other tom to open up, to accept him as a Clanmate in doing so.

Ashfur heaved a deep sigh and began. "Squirrelflight rejected me. She said she has always loved," he paused before spiting the name in disgust and jealousy, "Brambleclaw and that StarClan had destined them to be together." Ashfur prepared himself for the other warrior to side with Squirrelflight.

"If she had always knew, she should never have lead you on like that," Crowfeather meowed to Ashfur, who looked up with shocked dark blue eyes. "She used you, plain and simple. Sure, be mad, be upset, Ashfur, but remember that the next one could be the real one." In truth, he was somewhat talking from experience.

The blue eyes of Ashfur brightened. "Thanks, let's get back to camp. She already left."

The two blue eyed gray warriors picked up their buried fresh-kill and returned to ThunderClan's camp. When they returned, Firestar was finishing up a meeting. After putting away their fresh-kill, Ferncloud padded over to them and updated the two on what they missed. Fox traps had been discovered in the forest and that they should steer clear of them as they were extremely dangerous and deadly.

"My kit! My kit is missing!" Daisy suddenly hollered, drawing the attention of the whole Clan.

"Which one?" Cloudtail asked, padding over to the cream-colored queen.

"Berrykit. He was here when the meeting began and now he's gone!" the cream queen sobbed into the white warrior's pelt. Brightheart's eyes flashed at the action, but stayed silent where she sat. Mousekit and Hazelkit began complaining about wanting to leave camp too.

Nothing more needed to be said as Ashfur and Crowfeather, who were close to the camp entrance, dashed out in search of the kit. The two quickly picked up Berrykit's scent and raced after it as the scent headed toward the ShadowClan border. The former WindClaner took the lead, doing what all WindClan cats were built to do, run.

In a small clearing, a bundle of cream fur lay motionless. Crowfeather stopped short of it and slowly padded toward the prone body. The tiny tom was caught in a fox trap around the neck. "Berrykit?" Crowfeather called out softly; there was no answer in return.

Ashfur arrived at the clearing while Crowfeather stood next to the body. "Crowfeather?" he panted, wanting to know if the kit was all right.

Crowfeather appeared to have not heard the other tom as he pressed his nose to the cream fur, as if to wake the kit from some kind of deep sleep. However it was cold, the body was chillingly cold. "Berrykit?" he mewed again, but it was useless. They were too late. He was dead; Berrykit was dead.

**Next chapter is longer, I promise! I don't enjoy writing short chapters, but the chapters just seem to decide when to end on their own.**


	4. Secret of Brambles

**Chapter Four: Secret of Brambles**

**Disclaimer: Anything and everything Warriors belongs to the Erin Hunters.**

**There's a poll on my profile that you can vote on. ^^ Anyways, we're almost done with the old stuff, so real soon you'll get brand new stuff for this story! I'll try to update regularly, like on a schedule or something, but I've started to rework some other stories and old ideas too. So, you'll start seeing some other stuff being uploaded, some even from my old account.**

**Enough with this blither, time to begin the show! Enjoy! :3**

"Murderer!" Daisy yowled, barring her teeth at Crowfeather. "You killed my kit!"

The grey-black warrior was still numb from the shock of finding a dead Berrykit and unable to answer the she-cat spitting in his face, his blue eyes locked on the tiny lifeless body.

"You have no right to accuse him!" Ashfur hissed in his new friend's defense. They had returned to camp with the kit and Daisy, the kit's mother, was only making things worse by thinking her kit was murdered and not killed by a fox trap. The dead kit now lay in the middle of camp with his littermates sobbing next to him. "I arrived at the scene the same time as Crowfeather and Berrykit was already dead."

"Where was he during the meeting then? He was late and could have killed my baby then!" Daisy continued, not letting the issue be dropped or having her mind changed.

"He was with me then too!" Ashfur growled back at the cream colored queen, his tail lashing.

"That's enough," Firestar commanded. "Berrykit was not murdered by anyone, Daisy. He died by getting caught in a fox trap. This just proves how deadly these things can be. From now on, no kits are allowed to leave camp for any reason and apprentices must be accompanied by at least one warrior at any time outside of camp."

As things started to settle down, the Clan continued about their daily lives, with a few stopping to mourn the short life of Berrykit. Daisy and her remaining kits stayed with the body until the elders took it away to bury.

Leafpool stood beside her mate, comforting him in the medicine cat's den. Ashfur and Rainwhisker stayed with the two and tried to convince the former WindClan warrior that it wasn't his fault for the kit's death and there was nothing he could have done differently to change that. The sun was starting to slink down in the sky when Leafpool stood up. "I'm sorry, Crowfeather, but Firestar wants Rainwhisker and I to go to the Moonpool tonight for the medicine cat meeting." Crowfeather only nodded in acknowledgement to her, but otherwise stayed still. "Ashfur, will you stay with him?" the tabby she-cat asked.

"There's no need to worry, Leafpool. I'll be right here," the flecked tom meowed.

Rainwhisker and Leafpool left and the two toms were soon fast asleep. Later, a paw started prodding Crowfeather awake. "Crowfeather. Crowfeather." It was Ashfur behind the rude awaking.

"Wha?" the gray-black warrior murmured sleepily as he blinked his blue eyes open. He found night had fallen; the whole Clan was probably already sleeping in their nests.

"Shh!" Ashfur hissed quietly. "Brambleclaw just left camp."

"So? He probably just went to make dirt," Crowfeather whispered to him, wanting to go back to sleep.

"No, he was headed towards the lake," Ashfur whispered back.

Jerking up, Crowfeather was now wide-awake with interest. "The lake. Why would he go there?" he questioned.

"I don't know, lets find out," Ashfur meowed, already heading out of the den.

"Fine," Crowfeather said and followed the other gray tom down towards the lake. They stopped at the edge of the forest, hidden, but in sight of the lake. They spotted Brambleclaw by the lakeshore greeting someone. When the two cats pulled apart, the second cat was identified easily in the moonlight.

"Hawkfrost," Ashfur whispered in surprise.

"Why would they be meeting each other like this?" the former WindClan cat asked.

"They're half-brothers, their father was Tigerstar," Ashfur informed him in a half-growl, as if that was all the explanation needed.

They quieted down when the two brothers began to speak. "Has Firestar made you deputy yet?" Hawkfrost asked as he sat down and calmly licked a paw.

"No, he is still hoping for Graystripe to return, but if ShadowClan keeps pushing the borders, he has to see that ThunderClan needs a deputy to appear strong again," Brambleclaw explained as he sat next to his half-brother.

"Good," Hawkfrost purred. "The plan is coming along nicely, then."

"What about RiverClan? How do you plan on dealing with them?" Brambleclaw inquired, curious.

"No need to worry about that, brother. Leopardstar is weak and easily controllable," the blue-eyed dark tabby reassured the other in a soothing voice. "Mistyfoot will be dealt with soon enough, just like last time."

"Do you think what we're doing is right though, Hawkfrost? There have always been four Clans," Brambleclaw asked, doubt seeping into his voice.

"Don't start second guessing yourself now, Brambleclaw! We're halfway there and soon the forest will belong to us and Tigerstar will have his revenge," Hawkfrost spoke with confidence, but in a gentle tone to calm the other tabby. "Tigerstar only wanted to unite the Clans to help them stop all the fighting between the Clans. Do you want the deaths to continue or are you going to stop second guessing yourself and go along with the plan?"

"There have been far too many deaths," Brambleclaw agreed softly.

"There you go. I knew you'd see it our way, we are family after all," the dark tabby purred loudly.

Ashfur and Crowfeather looked at each other and together they turned, racing back to camp. They weren't sure of what they had just witnessed and now wasn't the time to talk about it as they entered camp.

Thankfully no one noticed their absence and the medicine cats were still away, so they were able to slip into the den without being noticed.

The two gray toms collapsed into a nest, quickly falling into restless slumbers.

When the two woke up, Leafpool stood above them as Rainwhisker stood to the side, looking about ready to fall asleep standing on his paws.

"Ashfur, I thought you were going to watch over Crowfeather for me, not steal him away," the light brown tabby she-cat purred with amusement.

At the she-cat's comment, Ashfur and Crowfeather noticed that they were curled up together in a single nest.

Quickly, the two leapt to their paws and separated as Leafpool went on, "It's alright, Ashfur, I don't blame you for taking an interest in Crowfeather. Just as long as you don't take him from me, I don't mind. In fact, I find it very cute."

The two toms were flustered, Ashfur more so than Crowfeather. Stuttering, Ashfur tried to explain, "N-no, Leafpool it-it's not like that. You see-"

Rainwhisker yawned loudly while he stumbled sleepily into the flecked tom, interrupting him and almost throwing him off his paws.

"Rainwhisker and I had a long night and we'd like to get some sleep before I tell you anything," the amber-eyed she-cat meowed.

"Sure thing, Leafpool," Crowfeather replied and lead the way out of the den with Ashfur following him. As the two exited the den they spotted Rainwhisker drop gracelessly onto a nest, already fast asleep even before he hit the soft moss.

Outside, it was already past dawn and some of the warriors were out and about in the clearing.

The two blue-eyed gray toms eyed each other, both thinking and wanting to talk about what they witnessed by the lake the night before, but knowing they couldn't while still in camp.

"Want to help train Birchpaw?" Ashfur asked suddenly.

"Sure," the former WindClan warrior agreed as they padded toward the apprentice den.

It was very easy getting the young apprentice up and the young tom was already bouncing with energy. Before the trio made it to the camp's entrance, they were stopped.

"Hey, can I join you guys?" It was Thornclaw.

Ashfur blinked at the golden tom, Thornclaw was older than him and a good warrior. He remembered Thornclaw mentoring Birchpaw's older brother, Spiderleg's littermate, in the old forest. The apprentice, Shrewpaw, had fallen prey to one of the monsters that tore up the forest.

"You sure, Thornclaw? You're a fully trained warrior and we are only going out to train one apprentice. It doesn't take three warriors to do that," the flecked gray tom told the other.

"I know, but I would like to learn some WindClan moves from our new Clanmate," the golden tabby meowed, a spark of friendly challenge in his eyes as he turned to the former WindClanner. "That is, if you haven't forgotten them already, Crowfeather."

"Oh!" Birchpaw exclaimed excitedly, bouncing up and down. "I want to learn WindClan moves too!"

"It appears it is you who has forgotten who my mentor was, Thornclaw. He would have had my tail if I forgot any of my training," The gray-back tom meowed, blue eyes shinning with acceptance of the challenge.

**Only one more old chapter until the brand new stuff! As you've noticed, everything's mostly in Crowfeather's POV. I'm not sure of sticking to just his or starting to cover other cats' POVs too… But I think I'll stick to Crowfeather's POV for now.**


	5. Rising Smoke

**Phew, forgot that rule about no author's notes only, but luckily I was able to finish this chapter to add this note to. Anyways, before we start with the story:**

**I am so sorry for the long delay in posting new chapters; I've just gotten busy with a whole lot of things. I've been working on writing my own books that I'm planning on pitching at the Writer's Digest Conference in January, been coming up with tons of ideas for both new book ideas and fanfiction (which I write out on paper first normally before typing everything up), and family along with the holidays always seems to distract me.**

**I'll also be posting a new story real soon; the revival of Rouge Fire a story listed on my old account Loki-BlackWolf. I have four, almost five, chapters of that written out that just needs to me typed and uploaded.**

**Soon I'll be posting more rewrites/revivals of old stories along with brand new stories that you can look forward to. Yeah, that seems to be a lot to be on one's plate, but these ideas are begging to be written and I WILL get a schedule going, well at least try to get something resembling a schedule.**

**Now on to what you really want to read, but first a disclaimer:**

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything Warriors that belongs to the Erin Hunters. I do own two little characters, Flint and Mist.**

**Chapter Five: Rising Smoke**

It was nearly sunhigh when the four cats returned from training. The group arrived to what was starting to appear as a pattern for Crowfeather and Ashfur, chaos in ThunderClan's camp. Ashfur and Crowfeather stood by the entrance watching, feeling almost as if time was repeating itself.

Birchpaw ran over to his mother to see what was going on while Thornclaw wondered off to investigate on his own.

"What's happening?" Crowfeather asked as Spiderleg padded up to the toms.

"Daisy is what happened," Spiderleg growled. "It's always about Daisy these days." A glare from the former WindClaner got the young warrior to explain further. "She's missing along with her remaining kits. Good riddance if you ask me." With that, their informant stalked off.

Firestar called for silence on top of the Tallrock. "We will send out a patrol to search for Daisy and her kits. Cloudtail and…" Green eyes looked over the cats in camp and lingered on a pair of gray blue-eyed toms. "And Crowfeather will make up this patrol."

Leafpool was quick to be at his side, a nervous flicker in her amber eyes. "Crowfeather, I need to talk to you when you back," she mewed.

The dark gray warrior nodded and turned to find Cloudtail in his face. "Come on, we're leaving now," the white tom told him sharply as he padded out of camp. Crowfeather took one last glance around camp before following the older warrior.

As the two warriors walked along the edge of the WindClan border, Crowfeather was thankful that there were no WindClan patrols out and about. He didn't know what would happen if they did come across one, but if it was one with his mother, it might be all right. The former WindClan tom missed his mother dearly and wanted to talk to her, but he knew it would have to wait until Firestar allowed him to go to gathering or they saw each other at the border.

The grey-black tom was pushed out of his musing when Cloudtail stopped at a Twoleg fence. Looking past it, he saw that they had arrived at the horseplace. The white warrior sniffed the air and turned to face the barn.

"Daisy's here?" Crowfeather asked the older cat.

"Yes, Daisy mentioned that she had lived in a barn at the horseplace," Cloudtail told him as he stepped through the openings in the fence.

As they padded through the field, a loud neigh from a horse was heard and thundering hooves followed. A pair of horses came running down the field, seemingly towards the two cats crossing the open space. Cloudtail panicked and started to run, but Crowfeather, knowing better, tried to calm the senior warrior.

"Cloudtail! Stop, don't run, you'll scare them even more!" Crowfeather called out to the fluffy white tom, but Cloudtail didn't appear to have heard.

A pale shape of a cat darted out from the barn and towards the cats; the former WindClan cat quickly recognized it as Smoky, the barn cat who had fathered Daisy's kits. "This way!" Smoky yowled to them. "Hurry!" He then turned and ran back the way he came.

Cloudtail quickly changed direction and followed with Crowfeather behind him. They were lead toward the barn by Smoky. "In here," the barn cat meowed and entered through a gap in the wall of the barn; the two warriors slipped n behind him. "I never expected to see you again so soon," Smoky meowed as he turned to face the two.

"What do you want?" Floss asked as she padded up to them from behind a mound of hay. Her scent was mixed with milk, signaling she was either very close to kitting or had recently had a litter. She looked over at Crowfeather and commented to acknowledge his presence. "Crowfeather."

"This is Floss and I am Smoky," Smoky introduced.

"I'm Cloudtail," the white tom meowed.

"Crowfeather, if you remember," the former WindClan tom mewed.

"We've come to see Daisy," Cloudtail informed the two barn cats.

"You've come to see Daisy?" Smoky sounded surprised. "I didn't think you would want to see her again after she left your Clan. And what is a WindClan warrior doing here if Daisy joined ThunderClan?"

"I joined ThunderClan," the dark gray tom told him simply.

"We like Daisy a lot," Cloudtail said quickly. Before he could say any more, Daisy's two remaining kits dashed out, shrieking with excitement.

"You came! You came!" Hazelkit squealed. "I knew you'd come!"

"Oh, did you now?" Cloudtail asked as he crouched down to the kits' level.

"Yes. Mousekit didn't think so, though," Hazelkit mewed with a mischievous light in her eyes.

"Did not!" Mousekit hissed, tiny claws flexing.

"Kits, hush!" Daisy chided as she padded out from around the hay mound Floss had. "You don't want to wake Floss' kits."

"Hello, Daisy," Cloudtail meowed gently as he sat up.

Hazelkit suddenly launched herself at Cloudtail's tail. "I've been working at my hunter's crouch, Cloudtail. We want to become apprentices like Birchpaw and Whitepaw," she exclaimed excitement.

"Are they warriors yet?" Mousekit mewed innocently.

"Warriors!" Cloudtail let out a meow of soft laughter. "You've barely been away for a day."

"But it feels like it been moons!" Hazelkit wailed before burrowing her muzzle in Cloudtail's fluffy tail. "It's so boring here!"

"But its safe here," Daisy told her daughter gently. "Now get off Cloudtail. Is that any way to show respect for a warrior?" She turned after seeing Hazelkit move off the white warrior's tail and faced the two warriors. "I know why you are here. Please, don't ask me to come back to the forest. I have made up my mind."

"But every cat misses you and your cats," Cloudtail meowed softly to her, bright blue eyes pleading. "ThunderClan needs new warriors. And you know we would do anything to make you and your kits feel at home in ThunderClan."

Crowfeather noticed the look of unrequited love in Daisy's icy-blue eyes and understood the real reason why the queen left. Daisy was in love with Cloudtail, but she knew that the white warrior would never leave Brightheart for her. The grey warrior figured that Daisy must be hurting every time she looked at the white tom she knew she couldn't have.

"We want to go back, mother," Hazelkit added and Mousekit quickly agreed.

Daisy shook her head with a sad look as she mewed to her kits, "No, you don't want to go back. Your brother just died and you two are two young to understand."

"I don't think so," Crowfeather put in as he watched the two kits shuffling their paws. "From what I heard, when you brought them to ThunderClan they were so young that all they can remember is living in ThunderClan's camp. It's no wonder they want to go back."

"I'm not sure," Daisy admitted as she cast her gaze to her paws. "The forest is a dangerous place and Berrykit died because if it."

"But everyone misses you, Daisy," Cloudtail insisted and added as an afterthought, "I know Brightheart does."

"Don't worry mother, we will protect you," Mousekit spoke up as he nuzzled into his mother's side.

"We'll teach you everything about the warrior code," Hazelkit added as she pleaded with her mother. "We'll even teach you everything our mentors teach us. Please take us back!"

"We want to learn to fight," Mousekit meowed as he pulled away from his mother and flexed his tiny claws. "To protect you from everything."

Daisy looked torn as her kits begged to return to the very place their brother was killed, she turned to Smoky for help.

"Maybe you should go back," Smoky said as he pushed his muzzle up against hers comfortingly.

"But I thought you missed me! I thought you wanted us to stay," Daisy meowed, eyes wide with shock and slight betrayal.

"I do, I missed all of you. But it is obvious that our kits won't be happy here. They have done nothing, but talk about the forest and ThunderClan since they have arrived here," Smoky told her gently, a soft look in his eyes. "You could always come back yourself when they have grown up and become warriors."

"You could live in the forest yourself too," Cloudtail suggested to Smoky.

"Me! No thank you, I'd never remember all those names," Smoky meowed aghast. "Besides, someone has to stay here and protect Floss."

"All right, we'll go back," Daisy meowed weakly, gazing up at Cloudtail. The love she held for the white tom was clear in her ice-blue eyes, but Crowfeather saw that the warrior did not seem to notice.

"Yes!" the kits squealed as they bounced around. "We're going back to the forest! We're going back to the forest!"

"Kits, hush. Remember, Floss' kits are still sleeping," Daisy scolded. "You don't want to wake them." The kits quieted down, but the excitement and joy still radiated off them.

"That's great," Cloudtail beamed, sky-blue eyes bright. "These two are just what ThunderClan needs; they will make fine warriors one day, I promise you."

As the group got ready to leave Floss and Smoky came back up to them, carrying a kit each; the two kits looked no more than a moon old, far too young to be leaving their nests for a long period of time. "Wait! I want you to take these two with you too," Floss called out after she put the kit down.

Smoky put the kit he was carrying down next to its sibling. "Are you sure about this?" Smoky asked Floss with uncertainty in his eyes about what she was asking of the warriors.

"Yes, I don't want the Nofurs to take these kits away like the others have been. Plus, now that Berrykit is gone, they need even more warriors now," the queen explained, her eyes glazed with pain from losing her past litters.

Crowfeather looked at Cloudtail and meowed, "You did say ThunderClan needed more warriors. Sorreltail could look after them, if it isn't too much for her."

Cloudtail was silent for a moment before meowing, "All right, we will take them back to ThunderClan as well."

Floss pointed her tail to a small grey tabby tom. "This one is called Flint and this one," she meowed as she pointed her tail to the larger diluted calico she-kit. "Is Mist. Take good care of them."

"We will," Crowfeather promised. "Goodbye Smoky, Floss." He picked up Flint while Cloudtail picked up Mist.

The group walked through the horse pen; calmly this time, they walked around a grazing horse. The horse spotted the group of cats and brought its head over and sniffed Crowfeather's fur. Crowfeather stiffened as the horse took a long breathe out, ruffling his gray-black fur with warm air before suddenly licking his head with a large pink tongue. The fur on top of Crowfeather's head was now wet and sticking up in all directions. Hazelkit and Mousekit laughed hysterically while Daisy and Cloudtail tried to stifle purrs of amusement.

When the cats finally returned to camp with no further problems, it was right back to chaos. "Leafpool, did you tell Littlecloud about the badger attack?" It was Brambleclaw and he sounded furious.

As they came through the entrance, the returning cats saw the confrontation between the two in the middle of camp, but they were too far away with too many cats in between to get through easily. The Clan surrounded the two tabbies, no one noticing the group's return.

"Yes, I told him when we met at the Moonpool," Leafpool meowed as she sat calmly, seemingly not bothered by the large tom's fury.

"And it never occurred to you that he would tell Blackstar?" Brambleclaw raged, large curved claws racking the earth under his paws. "We wouldn't have had this trouble if you had just kept your mouth shut!"

The medicine cat sprang to her paws, amber eyes flashing dangerously. "I had to tell Littlecloud how Cinderpelt died!" she hissed, the fur along her back prickling. "He was her friend! Did you really think he wouldn't want to know what happened to her?"

"Did you tell all the medicine cats _everything_?" Brambleclaw yowled, looking ready to pounce on the small she-cat.

"Don't you talk to her like that!" Ashfur hissed, stepping between the two arguing tabbies.

"Leafpool needs to decide where her loyalties lay, Ashfur. She's a ThunderClan _medicine cat_!" The large tabby growled, amber eyes flaming with his anger.

Blood suddenly splattered the ground; Ashfur had slashed his claws over Bramberclaw's face, leaving bleeding lines. "Look who's talking, fox dung. She isn't the one visiting their half-brother all the time!" Ashfur yowled.

"Ashfur!" Firestar and some of the Clan shouted in shock at what the blue-eyed flecked warrior had just done. The rest of the Clan started to whisper loudly about what they had just learned and saw.

"Brambleclaw, is this true? You told me you would stop meeting Hawkfrost," Squirrelflight asked, hurt and betrayal clear in her green eyes and voice.

"Squirrelflight, you have to believe me. I went to tell him that I wasn't going to meet him anymore. That's all," Brambleclaw mewed, trying to look smaller than the large tabby tom that he actually was to seem more convincing.

Cloudtail cleared his throat and the whole Clan turned as one to the group that stood at the entrance. Flint and Mist broke the silence as they began to cry with hunger. Daisy bent down to comfort the two young kits as Hazelkit and Mousekit looked at the Clan with large wide eyes, as if they had never laid eyes on the Clan before.

"We brought back Daisy and her kits," Cloudtail announced. "And Floss gave us her kits to raise and become warriors of ThunderClan."

The Clan was silent and only the cries of Flint and Mist filled the hollow with Daisy's soft and gentle voice trying to calm them.

A crow cawed somewhere in the forest, breaking the stillness of the camp, causing life to go on.

**Erm…. Biggest chapter so far. Can you blame me that it took so long to work on this? Well, maybe you can, I do admit it took me too long.**

**Anyways, got any suggestions for this story? Feel free to give them and I'll consider about putting them in the story. I WILL give you credit if I DO decide to use your suggestion.**


	6. Setting Gray

**Well, I couldn't make it to that Writer's Conference as my sister's auditions for graduate school apparently was more important than me possible getting a writer's agent wanting to sign me and talking to successful published authors. I shouldn't be too surprised, this happens all the time; my wants always seems to be passed up for my sisters' by my parents.**

**Anyways I was having a hard time with this chapter as I wasn't sure how to place it all together. But here it is!**

**Disclaimer: Warriors does not belong to me at all; all I own is Mistkit and Flintkit.**

**Chapter Six: Setting Gray**

When everything settled down, night had finally come to the land. Crowfeather joined Leafpool alone in the medicine cat's den. Leafpool had left Rainwhisker in the nursery to help make sure all the kits got their milk and weren't pushing any kit out of the way.

Even though Brambleclaw and Ashfur were punished for their actions, Crowfeather couldn't help but feel as if he had let Leafpool down by not being able to do anything when Brambleclaw accused his mate of being disloyal to her Clan. "Crowfeather," Leafpool mewed gently and reassuringly. "I'm fine, it all worked out in the end so please stop fretting."

Crowfeather met his mate's eyes and instantly felt soothed. "Alright, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" he asked.

"It's about StarClan," Leafpool replied, breaking eye contact and staring at the wall of the den.

Blue eyes blinked in confusion and he asked softly, "Are they angry at us?"

"Some of them are, while others were more understanding. They are at least glad that I took on an apprentice," the amber-eyed tabby told him.

"Well, at least some of StarClan is on our side," the grey-black tom meowed.

"Did you know about Brambleclaw meeting Hawkfrost?" Leafpool suddenly asked.

Crowfeather's ears flattened against his head in shame for not telling his mate sooner. "Yes, last night, Ashfur and I found out. I was going to tell you, but it seems that Ashfur blurted it out before I could tell you."

"I actually knew about it too. He's been meeting Hawkfrost ever since they found out that they were half-brothers. They've also been meeting Tigerstar in the Dark Forest," the tabby she-cat told him, refusing to meet his eyes still.

"Have you told Firestar?" he asked alarmed.

"No, I thought Brambleclaw would see sense and stop, I also did not want Squirrelflight finding out and getting hurt," Leafpool sighed as her sister did indeed just get hurt.

"Well, we'll find out if he stops soon enough," Crowfeather told her, pressing up against her small body with his larger one to comfort his mate.

"There's another thing," Leafpool added. Crowfeather's ears pecked up as he detected a nervous light edging in her voice. "Before we left the MoonPool, Littlecloud stopped me and held me back to speak to me."

"What did he want to talk about?" Crowfeather asked, concern beginning to creep into him.

"I should have noticed it earlier, Cinderpelt taught me better than this. I'm glad that it was Littlecloud though that noticed first and not any of the other medicine cats," the tabby she-cat mewed, trying to prolong telling him.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" he asked, now really worried.

"Nothing is wrong, Crowfeather. I am expecting your kits," Leafpool mewed quietly as she looked up into her mate's blue eyes.

A loud purr erupted from the grey-black tom's throat. "That's great, Leafpool!" He twined his tail with her's, a great feeling of warmth filling him.

"I hope Firestar thinks so too… I will have to train Rainwhisker faster than ever," Leafpool whispered, burying her face in the tom's soft grey fur.

"I'm sure he will understand and will be thrilled," Crowfeather soothed gently, giving his mate gentle licks to calm her. "I love you, Leafpool. I hope you know that."

"I know," Leafpool said as she allowed herself to be soothed. A soft purr rose up from her, "I love you too, Crowfeather."

Crowfeather yawned as he settled down in the clearing of ThunderClan's camp. It was the night of the full moon, the night of a gathering for the Clan cats, and Crowfeather was stuck in camp. He knew he wouldn't be allowed to go to the gathering, but pretty much everyone he got along with in ThunderClan had gone to the gathering.

He and Leafpool had yet to tell Firestar that she was expecting Crowfeather's kits. Things kept getting in the way and Leafpool had become incredibly busy with training her apprentice, Rainwhisker.

The light of the moon suddenly dimmed and the former warrior from WindClan looked up to see the moon had been covered by clouds. His eyes flickered around camp, not many cats still lingered about waiting for the gathering patrol to return. None of those waiting seemed to have noticed the moon's light had been dimmed by the clouds, probably all dozing off in the quiet night air.

It wasn't too long after the clouds drifted away from the moon that the gathering patrol returned. All the cats in the patrol seemed frazzled and upset. Crowfeather noticed that Firestar was oddly silent and went straight to his den, Sandstorm on his tail with a cloud of worry about her.

"Leafpool," Crowfeather called out when he saw his mate and Rainwhisker walk through the entrance. He padded over to the two, sensing that the only news from the gathering would be bad. "What happened?"

"There was a fight," Leafpool sighed, her amber eyes dull with exhaustion. "ShadowClan and RiverClan have been having problems with Twolegs, saying they have been chasing away prey and that WindClan and ThunderClan must give up territory for them to survive."

"That's crazy," Crowfeather meowed.

"Yes and that is not all, Hawkfrost is stirring up more trouble. He's trying to get his Clan to run Stormfur and Brook out," Leafpool told him. The grey tom looked like he was able to speak about the issue, but she flicked her tail to stop him. "Not now, Crowfeather. All I want to do is sleep. Ashfur or Rainwhisker can tell you more if you want to know tonight."

By sunhigh the whole of ThunderClan knew all about what happened at the gathering the night before. Repeatedly he saw Brambleclaw talking with Firestar around camp. He knew Brambleclaw was finished with his punishment for his actions half a moon ago, but the way he was speaking with ThunderClan's leader was as if he was never punished, let alone so soon ago.

Before the day was over Brambleclaw had brought back Stormfur and Brook after the two had been kicked out of RiverClan. The Clan, confused and already on edge from the night before, acted hostile towards the duo, especially Mousefur and Dustpelt. Firestar managed to calm his Clan down and declared that until Stormfur and Brook were ready to return to the Tribe of Rushing Water, they were welcome in ThunderClan.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Firestar suddenly called from his spot on the ledge, a few days after Stormfur and Brook joined ThunderClan. Brambleclaw sat underneath the ledge, his eyes glowing with a strange light.

"Cats of ThunderClan," the ginger leader began, sadness deep in his green eyes, "the day has come that I've never wanted to see. We all know of the day Graystripe was lost to us in the old forest. Since then I have tried to believe that he was still alive, and that he would return to us one day. But now, I have to face the fact that ThunderClan cannot go on any longer without a deputy." He gazed up at the sky that slowly darkened, a single star shinning above the hollow. "Graystripe is dead."

The Clan was silent; they all knew this day would have to come. ThunderClan could not go on without a deputy; they needed to look strong, stronger than ever before. And they could not go on like they have been doing.

"Tonight we will sit vigil for Graystripe," Firestar went on as he turned his eyes back to his Clan. "And before moonhigh I will appoint the new deputy."

The Clan began to mourn for the deputy they lost long ago. Crowfeather felt far apart from his new Clan, he did not know Graystripe that well in the old forest as he was young and only an apprentice when the Twolegs took him. But he had heard the stories about Graystripe and he couldn't help but feel respect for the gray warrior.

He listened as the cats around him told the stories they had of the old deputy. "He was loyal through and through. He was the truest friend a cat could ever have. StarClan will receive him with honor," Firestar added. "Farewell, Graystripe, may StarClan light your path."

The leader then turned to pad up to his den to grieve alone.

Crowfeather crouched near the warrior's den as he watched his Clan. Ashfur padded over to sit next to him; he didn't say anything but then again there wasn't anything to say.

Just before moonhigh, Firestar emerged from his den and resumed his position on the Highledge. "The time has come to name ThunderCan's new deputy," the ginger tom announced. "I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our ancestors, and Graystripe's spirit, wherever it may be, may hear and approve of my choice. Brambleclaw will be the new deputy of ThunderClan!"

Gasps, complaints, and disagreements rained down from many members of the Clan. Crowfeather saw and felt Ashfur beside him bristle with uncontrolled emotion. Though he disagreed with Firestar's choice in the new deputy too, he knew it was not his place to speak against his leader. Instead of staying out and listening to what the Clan had to say and how Firestar would settle it, Crowfeather got up and padded into the medicine cat's den.

The grey-black tom settled down in his and Leafpool's nest and soon he was fast asleep. In his dreams, he dreamt of a field dipped in dew and twilight in the sky. The fur on his shoulders rose as a most familiar scent wafted all around him. "Feathertail," he breathed.

The starry form of Feathertail approached him, the love she held for the tom before her when she was alive was bright in her blue eyes. "Crowfeather," she meowed, her voice like a trickling stream. "The time when the line between friend and foe is blurred is coming. Be prepared Crowfeather."

"What do you mean?" Crowfeather asked; confliction and confusion warring within.

"Friend and foe will be blurred, Crowfeather," Feathertail said as her starry form began to fade.

"Feathertail!" Crowfeather cried out as he watched his first love fade away from him again.

The dream too began to fade and three stars in the sky began to shine brightly as it did.

**The Sunset timeline thing is ending soon. Crowfeather will be faced with a difficult choice in the next chapter. Soon Ashfur will have to decide whether he can forgive the one who broke his heart or let the cause of his heartache to continue to suffer in the wake of shattering events.**


	7. Death of Frost

**And so this is the end of the Sunset line of events! I am on a role! This chapter took some twists and turns that I wasn't expecting myself, these stories just have lives of their own and takes their own direction when it comes to writing them.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing relating to warriors; only the warriors Flintkit and Mistkit.**

**Chapter Seven: Death of Frost**

"ShadowClan!" Ashfur hissed as he caught the scent. He, Crowfeather, and Birchpaw had been hunting near the lakeshore when he had found the scent trail of the rival Clan. "Birchpaw, go fetch Firestar; tell him we found ShadowClan scent here."

The young brown tom nodded eagerly and raced off, back towards camp.

Crowfeather met Ashfur's eyes and meowed, "You should have waited until we found them before sending Birchpaw. For all we know, we could just smell the scent remaining from one of their warriors trespassing and stealing prey."

Ashfur's claws racked the soil beneath his paws. "I know it was impulsive, but it's fresh and I'm sick of always scenting ShadowClan on our territory," the flecked tom growled out.

"Well, let's track down this ShadowClan trespasser then so we have something to show Firestar when he comes," Crowfeather meowed as he began to follow the scent trail. As they drew closer to the source of the scent, Crowfeather began to notice something odd about the ShadowClan scent. "Doesn't this ShadowClan scent seem off to you?"

Ashfur took a deep breathe of the scent and replied, "Besides the fact that it smells like they rolled in their own dirt? Yeah, it smells a bit fishy."

Crowfeather's blue eyes suddenly widened. "This isn't ShadowClan scent!" he announced.

"What?" Ashfur exclaimed, alarmed. "What is it then?"

"RiverClan," Crowfeather gasped.

"RiverClan? What RiverClan cat would –Hawkfrost!" the flecked tom explained. "It has to be Hawkfrost."

The cry of a cat in pain sounded close by. The two toms exchanged a look before they raced off to the location of the pained cat. They halted just before they burst into a clearing; inside that clearing they witnessed a most alarming scene.

The ThunderCan leader lay in the clearing, his neck trapped in a fox trap; like Berrykit had been, but unlike the kit Firestar was still alive. Above the trapped leader stood two massive tabby toms, Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw, arguing.

"What are you waiting for? This is what we have wanted all along, remember? Kill him now!" Hawkfrost edged on his half-brother, tail lashing back and forth.

"Six lives…" Brambleclaw murmured.

"That's right," Hawkfrost hissed. "This is our chance to take revenge on Firestar for our father's death. He could have tried to stop Scourge, but he just stood there and watched Tigerstar die, over and over and over."

Brambleclaw took two steps towards his trapped leader, but was stopped by two yowls of protests as two grey toms burst through the undergrowth. "Stop, Brambleclaw! Think of what you are doing!" Crowfeather yowled.

Feathertail's warning from Crowfeather's dream ran through his ears; _the time when the line between friend and foe is blurred is coming_. This was it; this was what Feathertail had meant.

The two tabby toms looked shocked and alarmed at the unsuspecting arrival of the other two toms. Hawkfrost took no time in leaping for Ashfur, his claws extended and teeth barred.

"I-I..." Brambleclaw stuttered as he tried to understand what was happening before him.

"I thought you wanted to be nothing like your father!" Crowfeather yowled at the stunned deputy. He then turned and began to dig up the wooden stick that held Firestar to the ground.

Ashfur was managing to handle Hawkfrost on his own for the time being.

"You know nothing about me, Crowfeather!" Brambleclaw hollered at the former WindClan warrior before leaping on top of the tom's back. The grey-black warrior rolled to dislodge the larger warrior.

As he leapt out of Brambleclaw's range, he looked and saw Ashfur falling to the ground with a massive bleeding wound to his back. Without thinking, Crowfeather leaped between his fallen friend and the RiverClan warrior. "Go!" he hissed at Ashfur.

"No!" Ashfur shouted as he struggled to get to his paws. "I won't leave you here outnumbered."

"I've got it handled; you're in no condition to fight any longer. Get help, run!" Crowfeather yowled as he threw himself at Hawkfrost.

Ashfur gave in and turned to run only to find Brambleclaw blocking his way. The deputy jumped for the flecked tom, but Ashfur managed to dodge in his injured state and run off back to camp. Brambleclaw hissed, knowing he wouldn't be able to catch Ashfur even though Ashfur was wounded.

The tabby deputy turned his attention on Hawkfrost and Crowfeather. The former WindClan warrior easily evaded the sharp attacks Hawkfrost made at him. Brambleclaw ran at the grey-black warrior, plowing him over and pinning him to the ground.

Brambleclaw barred his teeth at the cat he considered a friend on the great journey. "Finish him off, Brambleclaw!" Hawkfrost hissed in his ear. "As soon as you finish off this traitorous piece of scum, we can deal with the matter of making you leader of ThunderClan."

The deputy glared down at Crowfeather with hard amber eyes. "Squirrelflight!" Crowfeather suddenly yowled out. "What about Squirrelflight? I thought you loved her Brambleclaw! What will she think of you when she learns you murdered her father and her friend?"

Brambleclaw's amber eyes widened as what the pinned warrior said. Squirrelflight. He did love her. What was he thinking!

"What are you waiting for? Finish him off!" Hawkfrost screeched.

Crowfeather took this opportunity to slip out from under Brambleclaw and in doing so knocked the wooden stick of the fox trap he was pinned next to loose. Hawkfrost saw the grey tom's movement and went to lung at him, but Brambleclaw suddenly stood in his way.

"No!" Brambleclaw growled as he faced his half-brother. "I won't do this. This isn't what I want."

"Coward!" Hawkfrost roared, icy-blue eyes blazing. "Traitor! You're a traitor to everything we have planned!"

"Go back to RiverClan, Hawkfrost. I don't want to hurt you," Brambleclaw said lowly as he took a step menacingly toward the RiverClan warrior.

"You're weak, Brambleclaw! Always have been, always will be!" Hawkfrost roared as he rammed into Brambleclaw, sending them both toppling to the ground.

Hawkfrost's teeth snapped, aiming for his half-brother's neck. Brambleclaw slipped out from under the other and grabbed the pointed stick; he turned around just as Hawkfrost lunged at him again. The sharp end of the stick stabbed deeply into the icy-blue eyed tabby's neck. Bloody gurgled out of the neck wound and out of his open mouth, gasping for breathe, as the tabby teetered backwards before falling into the lake, dead.

"Hawkfrost!" Brambleclaw gasped as he saw what he had just done. "I… I didn't want this."

"Brambleclaw," Crowfeather breathed out. He sat beside his leader, Firestar, helping pull the metal loop off his neck.

Brambleclaw stiffened before turning around to look at the two. "Crowfeather," he whispered, apology deep in his amber eyes. "Firestar. I am so sorry."

"Brambleclaw," Firestar croaked out as his green eyes flickered opened.

Brambleclaw took a couple of steps toward his leader before he seemed to think better of it and stopped, sinking to his belly. "I am so sorry, Firestar. I don't deserve to be deputy," he moaned.

"Brambleclaw, no; it is fine," the ginger tom meowed in a hoarse voice.

"No!" the massive tabby shouted. "It is not fine! I have failed you. I do not deserve to be deputy; I don't even deserve a Clan!"

"Stop and think about this, Brambleclaw!" Crowfeather called out. "Don't you understand what you are saying? You're condemning yourself to self-exile!"

"No, I am thinking about this, Crowfeather," Brambleclaw breathed out, a strange calm coming over him. "I'm not worthy to be a ThunderClan cat, or any Clan cat for that matter. I will leave the Clans and repeat for my sins. I will only return once I have paid for what I have done."

"Brambleclaw," Firestar meowed as he struggled to sit up, relying on Crowfeather to help him do so. "You don't have to do this."

"I do have to do this, Firestar. This is the only way I can forgive myself," Brambleclaw told his leader. "Appoint an honorable deputy who deserves to serve under you," he said as he locked gazes with Crowfeather. "Please tell Squirrelflight that I really do love her." The tabby tom then rose to his feet and sprinted off.

Crowfeather was on his feet, ready to go after Brambleclaw but stopped when he felt Firestar's tail on his shoulder. "No, let him be Crowfeather. He will return when he thinks he is ready," he told the grey warrior.

At that moment Squirrelflight and Leafpool burst out through the undergrowth, both looking equally horrified. Firestar looked up at his two daughters and meowed, "It's ok; everything is over. Hawkfrost had set a trap for me, but Brambleclaw killed him."

"But where is Brambleclaw?" Squirrelflight demanded.

Crowfeather was at a lost, what was he suppose to tell her? That her mate just went on self-imposed exile after almost murdering her father and him before seeing sense and killed his half-brother?

He looked down at his leader for guidance only to find that Firestar had fallen unconscious. Leafpool was quick and began to work on her father, patching him up swiftly.

"Crowfeather!" Squirrelflight shouted, her green eyes alight with fear for her mate. "Tell me what happened to Brambleclaw! Please!"

**o.0 Ok, I admit that I didn't plan Brambleclaw to impose self-exile when I thought out the details of this chapter, but that's just what happened when I got around to writing it.**

"**When the line between friend and foe is blurred" Did anyone other than me understand what I meant with this in the chapter? I admit the meaning itself is a bit blurry itself. In case you don't understand: the line between friend and foe is such a thin line and in this case it is about Brambleclaw, once Crowfeather's friend who is appearing to be the foe, but in the end is really still a friend. Does that make sense? No? Well, that's all the explaining I'm giving you, I'm drop dead tried as I've been writing ALL DAY.**

**Still to come: Ashfur will have to decide whether he can forgive the one who broke his heart or let the cause of his heartache to continue to suffer in the wake of shattering events.**


	8. Second Fire

**I cannot tell you all how hard it is to write or even think of writing when you are suffering from headaches and migraines nearly 24/7 seven days a week. I work on a story for a bit when the pain is not too bad and when I feel better again; I reread what I've written and decide its badger-dung. So start all over again, get another idea on how to progress, erase everything, and begin anew. That's basically how it goes for me.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing concerning Warriors; I only own this fanfic idea, Mistkit, and Flintkit.**

**Chapter Eight: Second Fire**

"Dustpelt, take Brackenfur, Brightheart, and Whitepaw for border patrol; watch the ShadowClan border, they might still be up to something. Cloudtail, take Spiderleg and Thornclaw on a hunting patrol; leaf-fall will soon be upon us soon and we need the Clan strong for the coming leaf-bare."

Ashfur lay in the stone hollow in a patch of sunlight as he listened to the orders being given out. He was still healing from the battle he had with Hawkfrost, Leafpool had told him it was a miracle that his spine hadn't been crushed, yet he was not healed to the point where he could return to any warrior duties. The grey tom would rather have been inside the medicine cat's den at the moment, but Rainwhisker had thrown him out.

This wasn't anything new for Rainwhisker though, the medicine cat apprentice had been acting rather grumpy for the past couple of sunrises. He supposed it had to do with the fact that Firestar has not completely healed yet, though the leader had moved back to his den already. Or maybe it had to do with the fact that ThunderClan was deputy-less again.

Brambleclaw has not returned since the battle with Hawkfrost, staying true to his self imposed exile. Though the whole Clan was told about what happened at the lake, there were still some members of the Clan who did not believe this story, thinking Brambleclaw went the way his father had.

Crowfeather in the meantime had taken over the task of organizing patrols without too much resistance from the rest of the Clan. Ashfur did have to admit that when Crowfeather gave out orders in that calm and reassuring voice, he did sound like a natural born deputy. Amazing; not that long ago Crowfeather was a brash, easy-to-anger young warrior from WindClan. Did changing Clans effect someone that much? Or was it love for Leafpool that changed Crowfeather so much?

Thinking of love made Ashfur's heart ache dully as he remembered his unrequited for Squirrelflight. The grey tom shook his head to dispel the memories. That was some time ago and he had slowly gotten over it. He knew he had no chance with her now, even with Brambleclaw gone.

"Ashfur!"

The flecked tom looked to see who called his name and was surprised to find Squirrelflight padding towards him. "Ashfur, can I talk to you?" she asked with a nervous tone sharp in her voice.

"What is it?" Ashfur asked as he slowly sat up, sharp pain shot through his back as he did.

"In private, I would like to talk to you in private," Squirrelflight said as her green eyes glanced through the camp's entrance and into the forest.

"Alright," he said, confused as he had no idea what the ginger she-cat wanted, there was nothing that needed to be said between them and definitely nothing to be said in private. "But we can't go too far, Rainwhisker will have my hide if he finds out I left camp."

And that was true, even though Rainwhisker had thrown him out of the medicine cat's den he had told the warrior he was not to step paw out of the camp, unless it was to the dirt-place.

Squirrelflight nodded and proceeded to lead Ashfur out of camp and into the forest. She lead him to a small clearing not far from the stone hollow's entrance. The ginger she-cat sat down and stared down at her paws.

"Squirrelflight? What is it?" Ashfur asked when she did not speak.

"Ashfur… I-I…" Squirrelflight started nervously as her green eyes flicked up to meet the tom's light blue ones. "I'm going to have kits."

Kits! They weren't his, they _couldn't _be his! Ashfur took a step back in his alarm over the news. "They're Brambleclaw's," he said, rather than asking as he was sure he knew the answer.

"Yes… Brambleclaw is the father, but he's not here anymore… And I don't think he will be returning, Ashfur," she told him, her eyes locked onto his. "But I want my kits to have a father. Will you be their father, Ashfur? I-I can't say if I'll come to love you or not, I just want my kits to have a father."

But he didn't love her anymore! He didn't! He didn't, right? Ashfur didn't know anymore, he couldn't think. "I-I…" he stuttered as he took another step back. What was he suppose to say? What was the right thing to do? "I need to think about it!" he told Squirrelflight before bolting off into the forest, not caring that his back was screaming in pain from the effort.

Ashfur ran; he ran until he hit the stream on the border between WindClan and ThunderClan, only then did he stop. With claws digging into the soft stream bank soil and back burning with pain, Ashfur looked down into the gently running water to see his wide-eyed reflection.

Squirrelflight was having kits, Brambleclaw's kits. And she wanted Ashfur to act as the kits' father. But Ashfur didn't love Squirrelflight anymore, he was over her! He was over her; at least he thought he was. Now he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Ashfur!" A voice called out to the brooding tom. "What happened? Did the badgers come back?"

Ashfur looked up to find Ashfoot, WindClan's deputy, padding swiftly over to the stream. He noticed a few over cats in the distance, properly the rest of her patrol, turn and disappear over a hill. The ThunderClan warrior was silent as he watched the light grey she-cat stop at the other side of the stream, starring expectantly at him.

What should he say? This was an enemy, he shouldn't say anything that would make his Clan seem weak least she tell her leader and cause WindClan to try to take advantage of ThunderClan while they weren't at their strongest. But Ashfoot was Crowfeather's mother and she had always been easy to talk to, even after she became deputy.

"No, no badgers, Ashfoot," he finally told her.

Ashfoot blinked and settled herself into a comfortable sitting position on WindClan's side of the stream. "How's Crowfeather? I've been to the border as many times as I could since he joined ThunderClan, hopping I might see him, but I haven't," she mewed gently, concern for her son shinning in her eyes.

So that was why she had called out to Ashfur, Ashfoot wanted to know how Crowfeather was doing. "He's doing great," he told the WindClan deputy. "Even old Mousefur is starting to warm up to him."

"Good, I was worried how he would transition into a new Clan," Ashfoot admitted.

"You have nothing to worry about, Ashfoot. Crowfeather has already become an asset to the Clan," the grey flecked tom mewed to the she-cat to comfort her.

"Really?" she meowed in surprise. "Will you tell him that I'm proud of him?"

Ashfur nodded and turned to leave, ignoring the burning pain in his back. "Wait, Ashfur! Are _you_ alright?" the WindClan deputy called out, causing the tom to turn his head to look at her. "You looked as if something was deeply troubling you before I called out to you. I may be deputy of another Clan, but you can tell me what's bothering you. I won't tell anyone."

What? Was he suppose to tell her that Squirrelflight wanted him to act as the father to the kits that she was having that weren't even his? That Ashfur wasn't even sure if he still loved her or not anymore?

"It-it's nothing, I'm fine," Ashfur told the grey deputy. "I just needed some time to think about something."

"Well, if you ever want someone to talk to, I will listen," Ashfoot told him gently before getting to her paws and leaving.

Ashfur watched the WindClan she-cat go until she disappeared over a hill before turning and slowly walking back to camp, exhausted and back screaming in pain. When he got in sight of the stone hollow's entrance, an angry Rainwhisker bombarded him.

"What were you thinking, Ashfur? Leaving camp while you were still injured, you're just asking to stay longer in the medicine cat's den!" Rainwhisker hissed at Ashfur as he padded over to help the warrior inside the camp. The medicine cat apprentice gasped when he saw the tom's back. "Your wounds have reopened! Let's get you back in the medicine cat's den and patched up, again. Hopefully this time you'll heal up and not return so soon."

Ashfur wasn't listening to Rainwhisker's ranting as the medicine cat apprentice led him through camp and towards the medicine cat's den. His eyes were locked onto Squirrelflight, who was talking to Sandstorm by the fresh-kill pile.

He still didn't know what he was going to do.

**Huh, a chapter that's NOT in Crowfeather's POV? Yup!**

**And the Ashes get to talking! I love Ashfoot; she's such a good mother to Crowfeather. 3 I actually didn't have any problem keeping their names straight while writing that part.**

**What will Ashfur do; will he accept Squirrelflight's proposal and act as the kits' father or reject her and allow Squirrelflight to raise her kits as a single mother?**

**Kits time! How many kits do you think Leafpool and Squirrelflight should have? Should Leafpool still have Holly, Lion, and Jay? If you guys think Leafpool should still have 'the three,' that still leaves the questions abut Squirrelfight's kits.**


	9. Golden Farwell

**A warning to all, this story will end soon, how many chapters I don't know, but don't worry for I have a sequel planned for this. Now that I've populated ThunderClan with soon to be a bazillion kits-wait! How did that happen? Errr… Anyways, now that ThunderClan will soon be home to a bazillion kits and Crowfeather is for the most part settled in, it all makes sense to continue with his kits, right?**

**Now that I've thought out the ending for this story, I've been thinking about the sequel.**

**I'm debating if I'm having Molekit (Poppy, Honey, and Cinder's brother, not Poppy's son) survive and if I do have him survive do I kill off Honey and/or Poppy, or have all four survive and risk having more kits/apprentices then warriors. I do know Flint and Mist (Floss' OC kits that I added) will survive. Flint will most likely become an important character in the sequel, if not a major character. Why? Because I like him…**

**I have decided that Leaf will still be having Jay, Lion, along with an OC kit while Squirrel will be two OC kits, but I think I will be throwing Holly out.**

**Enjoy the chapter, or not. That's up to you.**

**Disclaimer: Warriors? Never in my life could I own Warriors; the only thing I DO own is this story idea, along with Mist and Flint.**

**Chapter Nine: Golden Farwell**

"I think you would have liked him," the blind pale tabby mewed out suddenly.

Crowfeather looked up confused, he was in the elder's den cleaning out the nests and putting new moss in them. ThunderClan only had two apprentices, so some of the warriors helped out doing the apprentice duties. The dark grey tom had decided to change the elders' bedding while he had Birchpaw, Ashfur's apprentice that he was teaching since Ashfur couldn't mentor in his condition, go out with Brackenfur and Brackenfur's apprentice, Whitepaw, for battle training at the mossy hollow not far from camp.

"Not this again, Longtail. You do this all the time when green-leaf begins turning into leaf-fall," Mousefur let out a long suffering sigh. "Come on, Goldenflower; let's go bask in the sun." The small dusky elder began leading a silent and depressed Goldenflower out of the nest.

Crowfeather watched the two old she-cats slipped out from under the hazel bush that served as the elder's den. Goldenflower had every right to be depressed these days; in her eyes she had just lost her last kit, Brambleclaw. The whole Clan was worrying about old golden queen and her health since Brambleclaw left, they didn't know how far this blow would push her over the edge.

"You two would have gotten along," Longtail continued as if he hadn't noticed that the other elders had left them. His glassy pale blue eyes were staring in the direction of Crowfeather, but his unseeing eyes only showed him memories of the past.

"Who are you talking about, Longtail?" Crowfeather asked, though he did have an inkling of who the blind pale tabby was talking about. It was hard not knowing who Longtail was hinting at, he was a story told in all four Clans to all the kits and apprentices as a lesson and a warning.

"Swiftpaw," the pale tabby breathed out. "An apprentice that I had in the old forest; I think you two would have gotten along."

"Maybe we will in StarClan," Crowfeather mewed softly to the blind elder. "But you shouldn't dwell on the past, Longtail. It will only prevent you from noticing all that is around you."

Longtail nodded as he sighed deeply, "I know I shouldn't, but I just can't help feeling that I could have done something more for him."

"You did everything you could have done for him," the grey-black tom said.

The elder was silent for some moments before speaking up suddenly, "When will Leafpool be moving into the nursery?"

Crowfeather who had gone back to work froze at the question. He jerked his head back in the direction of Longtail and asked, "How do you know she's carrying kits? We haven't told anyone yet!"

Longtail's cloudy blue eyes that just moments before were filled with sadness, now sparkled his mischief as a sly look came upon the pale tabby's face. "There is one benefit to being blind, Crowfeather; all your other senses are heightened. I can smell the faint scent that queens get when they begin carrying a litter," the elder informed the warrior. "I haven't told anyone, but you should get around to that soon or others will begin to notice as well."

"We will," the former WindClan tom meowed. "I need to get going now, Longtail." He began backing out of the hazel bush.

"That's alright, Crowfeather," Longtail mewed. "But when you're out hunting next, can you try catching me a rabbit? You're best rabbit hunter we've got now."

"Sure, no problem," Crowfeather meowed as he slipped out of the elder's den. The moment he was out, he headed toward the medicine cat's den to find his mate. "Leafpool!" he called as he entered the den.

Inside he saw Leafpool, Rainwhisker, and Ashfur; Leafpool was looking through some herbs while Rainwhisker was busy lecturing Ashfur about why going outside of camp while badly injured is a bad idea. "Crowfeather, what is it?" Leafpool asked as she raised her head to look at her mate.

Crowfeather padded over to her and whispered in her ear, "Longtail knows."

"What? What does Longtail know?" Leafpool asked confused.

Crowfeather chose not to reply and let his wander towards his mate's belly. Leafpool's amber eyes stretched wide as she understood.

"Oh!" she gasped with shock and embarrassment. "I suppose we should tell Firestar now before anyone else finds out; he's feeling better today." Crowfeather nodded to agree with his mate.

"Find out what?" Ashfur asked, ignoring the ranting Rainwhisker.

"Don't ignore me, Ashfur! I'm trying to get something through your thick skull!" Rainwhisker huffed, insulted.

"I listened the first seventeen times you gave me that lecture!" Ashfur snapped at the medicine cat apprentice.

"Well, it obviously didn't get through as you went out and made your wound worse!" Rainwhisker shot back.

"Well, maybe I had a reason for going out of camp! Ugh! I can't believe you're going to be medicine cat when Leafpool steps down!" Ashfur shouted as his tail lashed angrily.

"Then you better get used to it, Ashfur! Because I'm not stepping dow-"

"Rainwhisker! Ashfur!" Leafpool interrupted. "This is not the place for you two to be fighting and stop antagonizing each other; you're Clanmates for StarClan's sake. Rainwhisker, go check up on Sorreltail and the kits and cool your head. Ashfur, you really should have listened to Rainwhisker, but it really doesn't matter now that it has been done."

The two previously arguing toms stared at the medicine cat before slowly nodding. Rainwhisker turned and padded out to do as he was told as Ashfur laid his head down on his paws and closed his eyes.

"Let's go speak to Firestar, Crowfeather, before anything else happens," the tabby she-cat mewed and leads her mate out of the den.

A blue eye flicked open after the sounds of the two mates padding out of the den faded. After waiting for a few moments, the injured grey tom opened his other eye and slowly raised himself to his paws. Ashfur popped his head out of the medicine cat's den and watched the medicine cat and her mate disappear into Firestar's den.

Glancing around the clearing, he quickly spotted Squirrelflight sitting by the fresh-kill pile gazing up into the sky with blank green eyes. The flecked tom padded over to the ginger she-cat, the pain in his back dulled by painkilling herbs. "Squirrelflight," he meowed softly to the she-cat.

Green eyes widened as the light came back into them and turned to look at the tom. "Ashfur," the she-cat breathed. Before she could say anything more, the tom spoke again.

"Come walk with me," the grey warrior told her, his voice still soft.

"But your back, you might hurt it again," Squirrelflight gasped. "What about Rainwhisker? He'll chew you out if he learns you left camp again."

"I'll be fine," Ashfur mewed as he glanced at the nursery, he could faintly hear Rainwhisker still dealing with kits inside. "Besides, Rainwhisker will be far too busy with all those kits to check to see if I'm still in camp or not for some time."

Squirrelflight nodded and began to follow Ashfur as he led her out of the stone hollow that served as ThunderClan's camp. He led her farther away from camp then they were before, he led her to a small grassy cliff that looked over the lake. Ashfur sat, staring out at the lake, as Squirrelflight cautiously settled down next to him.

"Ashfur, have you… I-I mean will you…" Squirrelflight stuttered as she seemed to not know what the right words that needed to be said were.

"Did you ever love me?" Ashfur suddenly asked softly as he turned to stare into the she-cat's green eyes.

"I-I… I don't know, but I do know that I've always liked you, Ashfur. I don't know if it was ever love though, everything just happened so fast that I don't know what I'm feeling now," Squirrelflight told Ashfur, gazing back into Ashfur's blue eyes.

"Your kits, Brambleclaw's kits… I-I…" Ashfur started, but Squirrelflight interrupted him as she noticed something by the lakeshore.

"RiverClan!" the ginger she-cat hissed as she crouched down. "What are they doing here?"

Ashfur crouched down as well, not wanting to be seen by the RiverClan patrol. He looked down and saw a large group of RiverClan cats with Leopardstar and Mistyfoot in the lead, walking around the lake toward ThunderClan's territory. "It's an attack patrol. They must not have believed the story about Hawkfrost dying from a fox trap on our territory. They're being here must mean they wish to avenge him," he informed the she-cat.

"We have to warn the Clan!" Squirrelflight meowed and turned with Ashfur to run back to camp. As she ran she noticed that the grey tom wasn't beside her, she turned and saw Ashfur struggling to run due to his injury.

"Go! Warn the Clan, I'll only slow you down!" Ashfur shouted at her. "If they make it this far, I'll hold them off until you get more warriors."

"No! I won't leave you behind!" Squirrelflight yowled at him and raced back to him. The ginger she-cat brushed against the grey warrior. "Lean on me, we'll do this together."

"Squirrelflight…" Ashfur gasped in surprise at the she-cat's action.

"Come on, we have to hurry!" she meowed urgently to the tom.

"I'll do it," Ashfur said suddenly.

"What? What are you talking about?" Squirrelflight asked confused at what the tom was now saying. "We have to go now!"

"I'll be your kits' father," the flecked warrior told her, blue eyes bright as he stared into the ginger she-cat's wide green ones.

"Really?" Squirrelflight asked in disbelief.

Ashfur nodded and leaned on her as they began to race as fast as they could back to the stone hollow.

"RiverClan! RiverClan is attacking!" the two yowled to their Clanmates as they emerged through the entrance.

**So, what do you think? Let me know your thoughts. What do you wish to see in the sequel of Thunder of the Crow? Also, what should I name the sequel? I've got most things sorted out for this sequel, but a name just isn't coming to me.**

**Please review, it makes me happy and helps gets me off my tail to work on the next chapter.**

**Oh by the way, my psychiatrist thinks I should start writing a blog or something of the like as she thinks it will help my depression, which has gotten worse along with my migraines. Which reminds me, I've been in pain from migraines for nearly half of my life now. Aren't I so lucky?**

**On the bright side, I'll be turning 19 on the 4th of June! Now if only I have something to do for my birthday, that'd be great. Or if my parents gives me permission to get chickens, that'd be awesome!**


	10. Ascending Crow

**I've updated my profile and added a poll! Give it a look and let me know if you want to hear any of my billion ideas for different fanfictions or if you'd like for me to start a blog, where you'll get all sorts of goodies; such as previews of chapters, how I'm doing on certain stories, if I'm stuck on anything, my fanfic ideas, my book ideas, pictures, videos, etc etc. I'll only start a blog if you guys are interested, I don't want to be blogging and having no one read it.**

**Can you guys believe I've made it to 10 chapters of Thunder of the Crow? I can't! I also can't believe this story has recently hit over 3,000 hits! I must be doing something right.**

**For sequel names I've been thinking of these: Crow's Legacy, Legacy of the Crow, Thundering Crows, Thunderous Winds, The Winds of Thunder, Flightless Thunder, Thunder and Wind's Three, and Thunderous Winds' Three. What do you think of these? Comment, suggest, debate, whatever. Titles are so hard to think of. X.x **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing relating to Warriors; the only thing I own here is this story, the soon to be sequel, Mistkit, and Flintkit.**

**Chapter 10: Ascending Crow**

Mousekit, Hazelkit, Molekit, Honeykit, Poppykit, Cinderkit, and Mistkit attacked Rainwhisker as if he was an enemy warrior. The medicine cat apprentice played back, fending off the kits, but there was just too many for hi and was soon flattened to the ground by the large number of kits on top of him.

Flintkit stood off to the side staring up at the clear blue sky, not bothering to participate in the other kits' fun.

Leafpool and Crowfeather padded down from Firestar's den, side by side, pelts brushing, tails entwined, and soft purrs erupting from their throats. The two stopped to watch Rainwhisker fail to gain control over the play fight. The sigh made the mates purr louder.

"Soon, we'll have kits like that," Crowfeather whispered to Leafpool. "They'll be as beautiful as you, Leafpool."

"Ph Crowfeather," Leafpool sighed in content, leaning into her mate. "Whatever will we name them?"

"That is nothing to fret about right now," the grey-black tom meowed. "I'm sure when they come; their names will come as well."

"Flintkit!" Mistkit shouted at her brother. "Come play with us!" Flintkit ignored her and continued staring at the sky. "Fine! You weird furball!"

"Is everything alright, Flintkit?" Ferncloud asked as she added over to lone kit, worried.

"Something's coming," Flintkit murmured as he turned to look into the queen's eyes.

"It doesn't look like it's going to rain," Ferncloud commented as she looked to the sky.

"RiverClan! RiverClan is attacking!" Ashfur and Squirrelflight yowled as they burst into camp.

"Come, kits! Inside the nursery!' Sorreltail meowed to the kits and started to herd them into the nursery with the other queens' help.

"Spiderleg, Brackenfur, Thornclaw, Squirrelflight, Brightheart, and Cloudtail, we will meet RiverClan in the forest. RiverClan may try to attack the camp, so I need the rest of you to stand guard, be ready. If there's any hint of RiverClan getting close to camp, get the queens, kits, and elders out," Crowfeather commanded, easily slipping into a voice of authority.

Firestar slipped out of his den with Sandstorm supporting him. "RiverClan?" he asked tensely.

"Yes, but stay in camp, Firestar. You are in no condition to fight this battle," Crowfeather meowed to his leader.

Firestar looked about to protest, but Sandstorm laid her tail along his spine, calming him. "I trust you, Crowfeather. Protect my Clan," he said, his green eyes staring into Crowfeather's blue ones.

"I will, this is my Clan now and I will protect it with all my life," the grey-black tom told the ginger leader. He turned to the Clan and shouted, "Let's move out!"

Before the warrior could move, two apprentices blocked his path. "What about us? We want to fight!" Birchpaw asked, staring up at his temporary mentor.

"You already have an important job, Birchpaw, Whitepaw," the former WindClan tom meowed to the younger cats. "Your job is to protect the kits and queens. It's the most important job there is."

The two apprentices' eyes glowed. "We'll protect them!" Whitepaw meowed before dashing over to the nursery and taking a defensive stance.

"We won't let any RiverClan cats get anywhere near them!" Birchpaw meowed Crowfeather. "We promise you!" Then he too, ran over to stand by Whitepaw's side to stand guard.

Crowfeather turned to face his mate. "I'll come back, Leafpool, I promise you," he meowed softly to her as he brushed muzzles with her before joining the patrol and padding out of camp.

As the attack patrol walked through the forest, the grey-black tom asked, "Squirrelflight, where did toy see RiverClan?"

"They were approaching by the lake," the ginger she-cat replied.

"Ok," the warrior meowed. "We will confront them, but do not attack until they make the first move." The rest of the attack patrol nodded.

Before the patrol reached the lake, they encountered the group of RiverClan warriors. "Leopardstar!" Crowfeather shouted to RiverClan's leader. "What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?"

The RiverClan cats looked almost surprised to be caught so early on. "ThunderClan murdered Hawkfrost, a warrior of RiverClan. It is only fair that RiverClan is given compensation for loosing such a valuable member," Leopardstar growled.

"Hawkfrost was trespassing on ThunderClan territory and died from a fox trap in an accident," the grey-black warrior replied.

"Liar!" Leopardstar yowled. "ThunderClan murdered him!" Her eyes blazed with fury. "RiverClan attack!"

"ThunderClan, attack!" Crowfeather retaliated.

The two groups of cats lunged at each other. Crowfeather found himself battling with Blackclaw, he easily winning the fight with his quick moves when something grabbed his scruff and hauled him off, throwing him to ground and pinning him. The grey-black warrior looked up to find Leopardstar.

"When are you going to show your true colors to ThunderClan, traitor?" Leopardstar hissed as she clawed at him. "You've already betrayed WindClan; it's only a matter of time until you betray ThunderClan as well."

"ThunderClan is my Clan now!" Leopardstar yowled and sank his teeth into the RiverClan leader's front paw hard. Over the sounds of battle and Leopardstar's yowl of pain, he managed to hear a sharp crack come from the she-cat's paw as it broke.

The golden spotted she-cat pulled away and yowled, "RiverClan, retreat, retreat!" before limping off with his Clan.

Crowfeather huffed as he got to his paws and looked over the other ThunderClan cats. "Brackenfur and Cloudtail, make sure they leave," he ordered the older warriors. "Thornclaw, Spiderleg, make sure there isn't anymore RiverClan warriors left on our territory."

The rest of the battle patrol returned to camp and rejoined their anxious awaiting Clanmates. Their Clanmates began asking questions of the battle while Leafpool and Rainwhisker checked the injured cats over.

Firestar sat outside his den with Sandstorm, watching. "Crowfeather, after you get looked after, come to my den and tell me what happened."

The night of the gathering came quickly upon them; the injured ThunderClan cats were all healed or almost all healed by then. This was the first gathering Crowfeather was chosen to go to as a ThunderClan warrior and he was nervous about seeing his mother.

"Calm down, everything will be alright," Leafpool mewed softly in his ear, pressing up against him as they waited their turn to cross the tree bridge.

"I know, but I haven't seen her since the badger attack, since I joined ThunderClan," Crowfeather meowed back in a worried tone.

"She's proud of you, Crowfeather, stop fretting," Ashfur meowed from his other side. He walked with Squirrelflight at his side. Even after the two announced they were mates to the Clan, Ashfur still acted like a nervous rabbit surrounded by a group of hungry foxes around Squirrelflight.

Crowfeather sighed and was about to say something, but it was his turn to cross the bridge now. He leapt up and crossed in silence as he jumped down; he smelled WindClan was already there. The grey-black warrior couldn't help but break away from his mate and friends and push his way running towards that calming, reassuring scent of his mother.

"Mother!" he called out as he caught sight of Ashfoot speaking to Whitetail.

Ashfoot looked up at the sound of her son calling her. She quickly spotted her son and ran towards him, leaving her Clanmate. When the two met, they nuzzled and purred happily.

"I missed you, mother," Crowfeather breathed in her scent, remembering the days he was in the nursery with her.

"I missed you too, my son," Ashfoot meowed back and placed her nose to her son's head. "I'm proud of you; I've always been proud of you."

"Thank you," the grey-black warrior meowed, pulling back. "I have to tell you something, mother. Leafpool is carrying my kits!"

"That's wonderful!" Ashfoot purred. She was about to say more when the announcement that the gathering was starting interrupting her. The two grey cats were surprised, they didn't notice when RiverClan and ShadowClan arrived.

"I have a few announcements to make," Firestar meowed to all the Clans. "First, I would like to introduce our new deputy!" Confused whispers broke out from the ThunderClan cats as their "new" deputy had imposed self-exile on himself, but they were silenced by a flick of their leader's tail. "I say these words before StarClan, our ancestors, so they may hear and approve my choice," Firestar began as he looked down into the crowd of ThunderClan cats, looking for a certain cats. His stopped when they locked with Crowfeather's blue eyes and the leader held them as he continued.

"The new deputy of ThunderClan will be Crowfeather!" he finished. "He has shown courage, loyalty, and love to his new Clan and I hope he will use these traits as ThunderClan's new deputy!"

Whisperers broke out through the Clans, but two voices broke out with cheers. "Crowfeather! Crowfeather!" They were Leafpool and Ashfoot. Soon the rest of ThunderClan joined in with, "Crowfeather! Crowfeather!" Some cats of the other Clans joined in as well, but Leafpool and Ashfoot stayed the loudest.

Crowfeather was shocked; he didn't even know that Firestar was considering him as a deputy! But when the noise died down, he spoke, "Thank you, Firestar for this honor. I never expected to be chosen as ThunderClan's deputy, but I will serve my Clan with my might!"

**Thunder of the Crow is pretty much done now, expect for an afterward that is. After the afterward will be the sequel!**


	11. Arrival of Three

**Tiny afterward! :O I admit the afterward is only so tiny because one I couldn't think of anything else to add and two I really wanted to get started on the sequel.**

**Disclaimer: I only own Flint, Mist, and Thunder of the Crow story idea**

**Afterward: Arrival of Three**

Leafpool lay in her nest with three small bundles at her belly and Crowfeather above her. The two new parents purred loudly as they stared at their new kits with loving eyes. Squirrelflight laid in a nest next to her sister, fast asleep, her belly large with kits as she was due any day. The other queens were out with their kits to leave the new arrivals in peace.

"What should we name them?" Leafpool asked as she stared down at her three sons.

"The little grey tabby," Crowfeather meowed softly to his mate. "How about we name him Jaykit?"

"Perfect," Leafpool purred. "And the big golden tabby, how about Lionkit?"

Crowfeather nodded in approval. "And the small black one?" he asked, staring at the last of his three sons, a small black kit with a white chest and white tail tip.

"Ravenkit?" Leafpool suggested. "After Ravenpaw? He helped us and all the Clans out many times."

"Yes, I think he would have liked that," Crowfeather purred softly to his mate.

"Jaykit, Lionkit, Ravenkit, welcome to ThunderClan," the tabby queen murmured as she nuzzled her kits lovingly.

**Also, I thought this scene needed to be an afterward no matter how short it turned out to be.**

**Anyways, this is the official end of Thunder of the Crow! Thanks for reading! I hope you go on to read the sequel!**


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